Questions about the “Collage Pendant” and “Fused Glass” Postings

Following the postings entitled “How to Begin” and “Using Metal Clay with Fused Glass” I was asked a few questions. Since they were asked several times, I am answering them here.

1. Is it possible to make this project with copper and silver?

First, it is possible, but not in the way that this project is described in my book. Copper and silver don’t stick together. They will separate after firing. They have to be connected in a mechanical way.

Second, unlike copper and bronze clay, either the copper or the silver has to be fired first. They cannot be fired together as clay.

2. Can it be done with silver and bronze?

No. The piece is most likely to end up as an unrecognizable yellowish blob.

3. What is the stone and how is it set?

It is a lab-grown green garnet, availbale from www.gemresources.com. It was set while the texture was still wet, pressed down as far as possible below the surface.

4. What is this texture?

It’s the lid of an orange juice carton. I used it directly, without making a mold first.

5. How did you make this texture?

By stamping the clay repeatedly with a coffee stirrer.

6. Why should the backing layer be made out of copper?

Bronze clay shrinks more than copper clay. If the backing is made out of bronze clay, the flat piece is most likely to curve. When bronze clay is laid over copper clay, it “stretches” itself to the dimensions of the copper.

7. Why dry the backing layer first?

Unlike with silver clay, cracks are most likely to form on the backing layer if it is not dried first. The cracks may show either before or after firing.

8. In the fused glass pieces, is there an opening on the back?

The back is solid.

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3 Responses to “Questions about the “Collage Pendant” and “Fused Glass” Postings”

Hadar, Do you have any thoughts about in bedding natural copper with either copper clay or silver clay. This is native copper from the Copper Mines in the UP of Michigan. I would like to use some of the pieces that I mined last year. Also I assume that I would have to make sure that the matrix rock was all removed. Thank you so much for all your wisdom. Pennie J. (Red Oak Jewelry)

Or should I make a depression and after firing the clay place the native copper in the depression and seal it with epoxy …..

with all the excitment i had about this copper and bronze clay, i have become distracted,,,,,,these blog will put me back on tract….i am going to gather a group of people and do a demo for them the end of august, and in advance order some copper and bronze clay for them to play…i have litterly tons of glass to use, and i will experiment before this session…i have lots of enameled copper samples to share, and this is a group of very skilled fabricators, who are dying to try your copper and bronze clay….penny

I have fired these nuggets successfully with silver clay (http://store.artinsilver.com/conubr.html). As you can see in the photo, the silver traps the copper so they can’t seperate. I haven’t tried them with copper clay but they are very likely to fuse with some pressure.